Tag Archives: Jeri Smith-Ready

I was surprised to hear from Douglas Meeks that the WVMP series from Jeri Smith-Ready was wrapping up with the release of Lust For Life in a couple of weeks. For some reason, a series ending always manages to catch me off guard, unless it is specified as a trilogy up front (I live in the land of denial). So, Doug did up a reader recommendation post covering the whole series.

Disclaimer: These books were furnished to me at no cost and without conditions in expectation of a fair and honest review.

WVMP/Ciera Griffin Series
Summary & Review:

The WVMP series is different from almost any other “vampire” series you ever read, it follows one female for the life of the series and in addition to the plots and subplots the main theme throughout the books is the romance between her and Shane (an undead DJ), I took this assignment on due to the “Rock & Roll” aspect of the books but that quickly becomes a secondary thing as you follow the life of Ciera Griffin. I should mention that these books are filled with musical trivia from the 50s to the 2000s that adds to the enjoyment if you are into such things (I am a small bit so it DID interest me). The series was going to be promoted in a big way (as evidenced by the http://www.wvmpradio.com/ that the author or publisher setup) but the series never gained the popularity to fully develop these things but the link is still there and has some interesting things.

The difference I mentioned is with the vampires as the author writes them, in her version of vampires they are attached to the times they lived in and are somewhat ‘locked” on the time period they were turned into vampires, which gives a bit of depth to several of the subplots. They all are OCD to some degree (some more than others) and it adds a bit of lightness to some of the darkness of these books, I think one of the things I slowly enjoyed somewhere along the line was the authors ability to mix the light and dark aspects of these stories without coming off as inappropriate or stupid. (Click here for info on the DJs)

The last book in the series Lust For Life will be released on Nov 27th of 2012 and the series will end, the book closes pretty much all the loose ends and the hoped for HEA everyone has been looking for will be decided and it won’t be what you thought it would be. Ciera and Shane have weathered many storms in their struggles which revolved around a core of amazing characters (mostly vampires) who pose as DJs at the WVMP radio station playing music from the age they were when they were “turned” and it plays well. The picture of vampires presented in these books is far from the all powerful creatures in most other PNR/UF type novels, these are people with problems and emotions.

While these novels tend to meander back and forth from action, adventure and typical vampire fare, they also spend a great deal of time letting you get into the characters heads a bit, sometimes this is done well and sometimes it gets boring but you do get a good mental picture of what makes up the main characters. I got the feeling throughout the books that the author was struggling NOT to inject her personal feelings on religion and politics into the books, for the most part she succeeded although a heroine who has the “superpower” of disbelief in almost anything religious does kind of give you an idea but nothing overpowering since I will magically turn any book obviously trying to inject “social engineering” into my entertainment into compost.

As far as the HEA I can only say the books ends in a suitable fashion and as with most good authors we are hit with an unexpected ending, but be forewarned that there is some tragedy along the way in these novels that you don’t see coming (as most really good series have) which adds to the emotional impact of the series. This is an amazing series but, I fear the slow start is what doomed it although it has taken over 3 years to get the series to this point. I don’t usually give a high recommendation to a series that moves as slowly as this one did but if you can hang in there with it by about halfway through book 2 you will be glad you did, the story picks up speed and the climatic ending will be appreciated by all readers.

This series falls into the category of “almost” great, it kept my attention, I wanted to know more but I was disappointed several times in things not reaching the potential I felt was there, it turned into a book of self analysis many times it seemed. The core of these books is always the romance and not the action so if your interest is more romance oriented then you might like it a bit more than I did (and I loved it).

BOTTOM LINE:
This is a great series at its core, it wanders off from time to time but always comes back, you won’t be sorry you read them but you will feel sad at the end and for me a feeling of amazing potential not fully realized. Great series and I wish I could have known a bit more about the other amazing characters. It would have been 5 Stars but the author gets a bit introspective at times and I had to scan a small bit but the overall story is gripping and enjoyable. ….. 4 of 5 Stars

Was everyone else like me and surprised to see this one wrap up? I will have to keep an eye out and see what will be in store for Jeri Smith-Ready now, since surely there must be a new series in the works.

Another day, another couple of covers to add to the pile. I have been waiting for a glimpse of this one for a while, and I have to say that I really like it. Gena Showalter will be starting an Alien Huntress spin-off series on December 26th with the release of Last Kiss Goodnight. I would love to see the whole series follow this black and white trend, too.

Also, I just found the cover for the next Jeri Smith-Ready book, Lust for Life. This one is due out on November 27th.

And the final one for this post is from the upcoming Undead in my Bed anthology, featuring Katie MacAlister, Molly Harper and Jessica Sims. It will be released on September 25th.

*Instead of doing 12 individual posts, I am going to try doing one mega-post and see how it goes. If I don’t like it, I will go back to the old way next time.

I just raided the Simon and Schuster catalogue, and came up with some new covers…First off is the cover for Alexis Morgan‘s The Darkness Beyond. It is scheduled for a May 31st release. This is the ninth book in the Paladins of Darkness series…

Between fighting the Kalith and honing his hacking skills, D.J. Clayborne’s life has become predictable. But lately, someone—the mysterious “Reggie”—has been breaching his firewalls to leave him messages. Reggie Morrison is part of a federal cyber-crime unit investigating top hackers and finding out how they do it. But as she looks into D.J., she finds herself admiring the way his mind works. When she discovers that he has some classified information of his own, someone will stop at nothing to keep it under wraps. And soon, the two must fight both their mutual enemies and the powerful attraction that erupts between them.

Next up is book two from the Kristina Douglas series The Fallen. Demon has a May 31st release date.

One of the first Fallen, Azazel is second in power only to Lucifer. And with the activation of a prophecy binding him in marriage to the Demon Queen, Lilith, he’ll be even stronger. But Azazel doesn’t want the power. After the death of his beloved mate, Sarah, he wanders the earth a lost soul, broken and disheartened. That is, until he decides to take matters into his own hands, to find the one woman who could take Sarah’s place as his wife…so he can kill her.

Also on May 31st is Concrete Savior, the second book in Yvonne Navarro‘s Dark Redemption series.

Once an irresistible, soul-destroying seducer of men and women through the ages, fallen angel Brynna Malak has fled Hell to seek redemption. But is such a thing possible? While dodging the brutal Hunters sent to retrieve her she must also save the life of a teenaged girl fathered by an angel and whose destiny is to complete a preordained task. At her side is a Chicago police officer who fights his undeniable attraction to her. And Brynna has made up her mind: she will die for eternity rather than return to Hell or give up her quest. Yet to continue, she must begin the long and difficult journey of learning to love and appreciate both the joys and the tragedies of being human.

Mystical Warrior is the third book in Janet Chapman‘s Moonlight Bay series, due out on June 28th.

Fiona Gregor is having a terrible time adjusting to being human again, mostly because she’s an eleventh-century Scottish lass who suddenly finds herself dealing with life in the twenty-first century. And according to her brothers, forcing her to live on her own in this scary new world is exactly what she needs. Tricked into renting his upstairs apartment to Fiona by her brothers, Trace Huntsman is less than thrilled to have the opinionated beauty around, especially when stray animals—and suitors—start following her home. When the wizard Macmillan Oceanus shows up in Midnight Bay, Trace reaches the end of his rope. But he can’t ignore the powerful magic that’s threatening his heart.

Cover number four is from Adrian Phoenix. Black Heart Loa is a June 28th release.

From Alix Rickloff is the second book in her Heirs of Kilronan regency series featuring characters from a mysterious Irish family with roots going back to King Arthur. Lord of Shadows should be available on June 28th.

After her father’s murder, Lady Sabrina Douglas retreated into the sanctuary of the cloister, becoming a Sister of High Danu, women devoted to the contemplative life of the otherworld. Unfortunately, when a man is found half-dead on a beach and brought to the care of the Sisters, Sabrina’s past catches up with her. Daigh MacLir has no memory of his past. Only a pressing feeling of an unresolved task and nightmares that torment him with images of another existence. It’s only when he realizes who he is—a soldier of Domnu sent to capture the Rylkoth Tapestry depicting the final resting place of King Arthur—that he realizes Sabrina Douglas will either save him from hell…or send him there for eternity.

The end of July will bring Shadow Fall, the next book from the Seressia Glass Shadowchaser series.

In a job like this, one mistake can cost you everything.
As a Shadowchaser, Kira Solomon has been trained to serve the Light, dispatch the Fallen, and prevent the spread of chaos. It’s a deadly job, and Kira knows the horror of spilling innocent blood. But now she has a new role, as the Hand of Ma’at, the Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Order, and an assignment that might just redeem her.A fellow Shadowchaser has gone missing, and so has a unique artifact imbued with astonishing magic. Unless the Vessel of Nun is returned, it will cause destruction beyond anything the modern world has seen. Kira’s got a team at her back, including Khefar, a near-immortal Nubian warrior who’s already died for her once. But as complicated as her feelings for him are, they’re nothing compared to the difficulties of the task she faces.And the only way to defeat the enemy is to trust in a powershe can barely control, and put her life—and her soul—on the line.

Looks like the end of July will also bring the next book in Jeri Smith-Ready‘s WVMP series, this one called Let It Bleed.

Former con artist Ciara Griffin hopes to settle into a normal un-life as a fledgling vampire, with the help of her fiancé, grunge DJ/guitarist Shane McAllister. But when the WVMP crew reports that hippie vampire DJ Jim has murdered a pair of humans—humans who happen to share Ciara’s last name—that’s when trouble rolls out the red carpet. To redeem her past and pay back her most wounded victim, Ciara plans one final triple-crossing con game—with her own “miracle blood” as the bait. And as Ciara clings to what’s left of her humanity, she’ll need her new vampire strength—and old con artist cunning—now more than ever.

Hm. Yeah. Gotta admit, I giggled when I saw this one. Enemy Mine is the August 30th follow up to Karin Harlow‘s Enemy Lover.

I am a big fan of Sharie Kohler‘s Moon Chasers series, so I was happy to get my hands on the almost finished cover for Night Falls on the Wicked, due out on August 30th.

Maria Lima will have Blood Sacrifice coming out on August 30th. It is the fifth book in her Blood Lines series.